Box 5 and Beyond
Erik and Antoinette Giry sat at the back of Box 5 of the Palais Garnier, listening to the rehearsals of the orchestra below and speaking in low voices should anyone happen by, which was unlikely. Madame Giry was not just the ballet mistress, more than a full time job in itself, but, as a widow supporting herself, she picked up a bit more income as the concierge of the private boxes. So she would know of any comings and goings in that area.
"So, Erik, I have a plan to make this box yours. I will say that I have already started to campaign for you."
Erik turned to glance at his companion. "Campaign? What exactly do you mean by…campaign?"
Antoinette laughed. "I went to the managers, Messieurs Debienne and Poligny, and told them the Opera House was haunted. They have only to listen to the ballet rats to know this for themselves. Erik, you have them terrified!"
"I've done no such thing" he huffed.
"Oh, you have indeed. Perhaps with a little help from someone, ahem, who used you as a way to keep them in order and not running rampant through the many floors and hidden places contained within these walls."
"I'm hurt you used me as a threat, Madame" he sniffed, though, secretly he was both amused and delighted at the prospects this role would afford him.
"I worry about you, Erik. You need money to live. Even here, you need money for clothes and food."
"Nonsense. I'm not a begger. I earned a substantial income for my work with Charles Garnier and even more, though I had to steal it away, from a… a well, a previous place of employment. My friend, Nadir, has invested it wisely for me, and, I hate to tell you this, Antoinette, but I'm quite a wealthy man. These suits, alone, cost me a small fortune." He pinched the elegant black fabric between his fingers to demonstrate its worth. She glanced at him and nodded in agreement.
"Still. What I am planning will increase that worth. I'm not a stupid woman, Erik. Trust me."
"I never implied you were, Antoinette. I am actually quite touched that you worried about me. Not many people, save Nadir, have, in my life." He smiled at her.
"Good. Because I said to the managers that you would wreak havoc upon the Opera House and scare away potential patrons if they did not grant you sole and permanent use of Box 5 AND pay you a salary of 20,000 francs!"
Erik stood and faced Antoinette. "Are you mad, my dear? Seriously mad?" He paced the box, his hands behind his back, shaking his head. "What were you thinking?"
She laughed, and reached into her handbag to retrieve a white envelope, which she handed to him. He stopped his pacing and opened it. Inside were 20,000 francs. He looked at her, then back at the notes.
Then, he broke into uncontrollable laughter. He sat down, laughing so hard, tears actually formed in his eyes and he had to turn away, remove his half-mask and wipe them before replacing it.
"Had I known that using me as a threat was that lucrative I should have aligned with you much earlier in my life, my dear, as I have done nothing to earn that reputation since coming to Paris! Had you known me as a much younger man, you would have made a fortune from my infamy!"
"Stop, Erik. You hint around your past, and I know, we are just becoming good friends, but one day you will tell me everything. I see and know only a supremely gifted and talented man. One who has only been kind to me and even more rare… has listened to me and to my problems, and offered advice that was wise. What you were, what I was, what anyone has done and left behind them, we all deserve a new chance to move forward. To make the most of our next opportunity." She reached over and patted his hand. Erik glanced at it then back up at her.
"You are an amazing woman, Antoinette. Your deceased husband must have been a very lucky man."
She snorted at his words. "He was a gambler and a drunk and he had an eye for the ladies, ballerinas, usually. He had money to start, a nice apartment overlooking the park. But when he died, Meg and I had nothing. He had many debts, and it was then I decided to go back to the world of dance. As a teacher, this time, instead of a dancer. I was in luck when the Opera House started hiring and I had an impeccable reputation."
Erik sat back in his seat. He was surprised by her words and had a new admiration for this fiery, intelligent and wily woman who had bested the two wealthy managers into believing that he was haunting the Opera House, and that, out of concern for them and her place of employment they should do what he wanted. That they listened to her was almost inconceivable. But hysterical ballet rats and gossipy stage-hands and rumors (all begun and spread by Antoinette, herself) had landed the ball in his court. He would have a new income to help him plan whatever his future might be… and he would see to it that Antoinette and Meg never wanted for anything.